Obituaries

1942

Immanuel Lichtenstein, engineer, Oneonta, N.Y., on June 12, 2021. Following his B.A. in civil and mechanical engineering, Lichtenstein earned a B.S. in industrial engineering from SEAS in 1943. A veteran of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, he helped to build airfields in the Arctic and to rebuild airfields in Germany after WWII. Following his military service, Lichtenstein earned an M.S. in industrial engineering from Stevens Tech in 1954. His career and interests were far ranging, including corporate work for Avco and Phelps Dodge Corp. in California, gold and silver mining in Nevada and Idaho as the founder and president of Agricola Metals, tree planting in Chad, and inventing and patenting Laminite, a treatment for corrugated cardboard that made it resistant to re and vermin. He continued to head Agricola Metals until his death. Lichtenstein loved to ski, hike and sail and continued to do so into his 90s, and enjoyed memorizing and reciting the works of A.E. Housman, George Bernard Shaw, John Keats and William Shakespeare. He sat for many years on SEAS’s Board of Visitors and was presented a Columbia Alumni Medal in 1997. Lichtenstein is survived by his wife of 67 years, Nancy Rabi Lichtenstein LAW’52; daughters, Alice Bercovitz (James) and Elizabeth Torak (Thomas); two grandchildren; and brother, Michael ’48 (Peggy).

---

1947

Jerome K. Percus, professor, New York City, on March 7, 2021. After entering with the Class of 1947 and graduating from SEAS in 1947 with a B.S. in electrical engineering, Percus earned an M.A. in mathematics in 1948 and a Ph.D. in physics in 1954, both from GSAS. An outstanding teacher and scientist, Percus was in his 63rd year as a professor of mathematics and physics at NYU when he died. His internationally recognized contributions ranged from pioneering research in statistical mechanics and combinatorics to his later work in mathematical biology and genome analysis. He was an inspirational advisor to more than 70 Ph.D. candidates and a mentor to innumerable others, many of whom became lifelong friends. Percus was a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Mathematical Society and American Physical Society, and was presented the Pregel Award in Chemical Physics from the New York Academy of Sciences, and the Pattern Recognition Society Medal, and the Hildebrand Award in Physical Chemistry from the American Chemical Society. His most frequent collaborator in his more than 300 publications was his wife, mathematical statistician Ora E. Percus GSAS’65, who predeceased him. Percus is survived by his sons, Orin and Allon; and three granddaughters.

---

1950

Joseph L. “Bud” Kassel II, retailer and ski host, Shelburne, Vt., on December 25, 2019. Born and raised in Middletown, N.Y., Kassel earned an M.B.A. from Harvard in 1952 and returned to his hometown, where he had a creative and productive career in retailing. He and Ruth, his wife of 67 years, were community leaders in various public and private capacities for decades. They retired to Vermont in the late 1990s to be closer to two of their three sons and a number of cherished grandchildren, as well as the mountains he loved. Kassel was a volunteer host at Stowe Mountain Resort until two years before his death. His wife died five months after he did. Kassel is survived by his sons, David (Magda), John (Julie) and Peter (Carol); nine grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

---

1953

Stephen G. Reich, insurance agent, Winter Springs, Fla., on June 25, 2021. Born on January 25, 1931, in Mount Vernon, N.Y., Reich played varsity baseball and football for the Lions, served in the Marine Corps as a 1st lieutenant and returned to Columbia to earn an M.B.A. in 1958. He moved to Orlando in 1959 and worked for Home Life Insurance for more than 35 years. Reich also was an administrator for the Central Florida Baseball League, a summer league for college players, and coached his sons in the sport. He was an avid tennis player, golfer and equestrian; enjoyed spending time at his ranch in Springdale, Mont.; and was a longtime member of the Interlachen Country Club in Winter Park, Fla. Reich is survived by his wife of 63 years, Shyla; sons, Robert and John (Shayna); and five grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the Landscape Beautification Fund at the Congregation of Reform Judaism in Orlando.

---

1955

Thomas M. “Miller” Evans, physician, Cincinnati, on July 13, 2021. Evans was a student leader and member of Sigma Chi, earned an M.D. at Cincinnati and served in the Navy as first lieutenant medical corps and aboard the U.S.S. Thomas Jefferson. Following his internship and residency in ob/gyn, he practiced privately in Cincinnati until his retirement. Evans is remembered for his sense of humor; generous spirit; love of sports, gardening and family; and for the thousands of babies he helped bring into the world. He was predeceased by his wife of 64 years, Geraldine “Jere” Schadt; and is survived by his sons, Scott (Trudi) and Bradley (Tess); daughter, Megan Daniels (James); eight grandchildren; brother, William (Virginia); and sisters, Marilyn Evans Baer and Elisabeth Evans Niswonger.

Norman Goldstein, dermatologist, New York City, on January 5, 2021. Born in Brooklyn, Goldstein earned an M.D. from SUNY Downstate in 1959. He was chief of dermatology in the Army and afterward in the Honolulu Medical Group, conducting clinical investigations on topical sunscreen agents. In 1972, the American Academy of Dermatology recognized his research and his development of the first sunscreen for skin cancer prevention with its Original Research and Prevention of Skin Cancers Award. Goldstein developed and published the first photographic techniques for early detection of skin cancers and was the first to use laser treatment for Kaposi’s sarcoma lesions. He published more than 200 medical articles, book chapters and editorial columns and wrote The Skin You Live In (1978), a self-help text. Goldstein established the first UV meter, which began UV index reporting on television weather reports. In 2005, he became the first dermatologist to receive a Laureate award from the American College of Physicians, and in 2009, the American Medical Association commended him for 50 years of practice. Goldstein was a senior faculty member at the Mount Sinai Hospital and School of Medicine in NYC in addition to running his private practice.

---

1956

Frederic H. Brooks, businessman and entrepreneur, Greenwich, Conn., on May 28, 2021. Born on November 26, 1934, in NYC, Brooks graduated from Horace Mann and briefly attended the Law School before deciding to make his way in business. While at Columbia, his sister, Barbara, introduced him to Jane Peyser BC’58, who became his wife of 65 years. After working at Merrill Lynch, Brooks created several entrepreneurial enterprises, including SportsVision, which owned the closed-circuit television rights to championship boxing matches and promoted famous fights such as Muhammad Ali’s heavyweight championship bouts against Sonny Liston; MacGregor Products, one of the top sporting goods manufacturers in the United States; and Riddell, the country’s leading football helmet manufacturer. Through his work, he pursued his passion for travel and was recruited to join an initiative under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, which aimed to increase business investment throughout Central America and the Caribbean. Brooks and his wife visited more than 100 countries together and built a collection of Tang Dynasty art, much of which was donated to the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Conn. In addition to his wife, Brooks is survived by his sons, Rick and Mark; daughter, Kate; seven grandchildren; and one great-grandson.

---

1958

William Reichel, physician, Timonium, Md., on May 14, 2021. Reichel, who graduated from P&S in 1961, was board certified in internal medicine and family medicine with chief interests in geriatrics and medical ethics. After his residency in internal medicine at Stanford, he spent four years at the Gerontology Research Center of the NIH. He moved to Franklin Square Hospital in Baltimore in 1970 and founded and directed the family medicine residency 1972–88. Reichel then spent nine years at Tufts, where he founded a family medicine residency and coordinated other residencies, and at Brown, where he provided international consultation for new family medicine residencies in countries including Spain, Russia and Jordan. He was active as an affiliated scholar at Georgetown’s Center for Clinical Bioethics and spent 13 years on the Board of Directors of the American Geriatrics Society, including time as its president. Reichel is survived by his wife, Helen, whom he met while she was working at Columbia; son, Rob; daughter, Andrea; and five grandchildren.

Robert W. Sandall, sales executive, Colorado Springs, Colo., on July 7, 2021. Sandall was a loving family man and role model who raised his three daughters in the knowledge that women could do anything they set their hearts and minds to. He was predeceased in 2019 by his wife, Anne; and is survived by his daughters Beth Holcombe, Kristin Chappell and Diane.

William A. Schwartz, businessman, New York City, on July 9, 2021. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Schwartz graduated from Poly Prep and was a member of the swim team and Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. He was president of Blackstone Co., an East Brunswick, N.J.-based distributor of building materials. Schwartz’s numerous civic and charitable involvements included service as president and board chair of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation, president of the Jewish Federation of Monmouth County, captain of the South Aberdeen Emergency Medical Service, trustee of the Kaufman Music Center and governor of the Mannes School of Music. Schwartz is survived by his wife of 60 years, Janet; sons David ’86 (Hannah) and Marc ’87, LAW’90 (Margot ’87); and five grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the America-Israel Cultural Foundation.

---

1960

Stephen C. Scheiber, psychiatrist and educator, Glenview, Ill., on June 20, 2020. Born in 1938, Scheiber grew up in White Plains, N.Y., and graduated from the Putney School in Vermont. A pre-med student, he also enthusiastically pursued his interest in history and was a devoted member of the St. Paul’s Chapel choir. After earning an M.D. from SUNY Buffalo, Scheiber interned at the Mary Fletcher Hospital in Burlington, Vt., and served for two years in the U.S. Public Health Service with the National Institutes of Health and with the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone. He completed a psychiatry residency at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, N.Y., and was appointed in 1970 to the medical faculty at Arizona, the start of a distinguished academic career. Scheiber became executive secretary of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in 1986 and remained in that position (and later as the board’s executive VP) for more than 20 years. Concurrently he was an adjunct professor of psychiatry at Northwestern and clinical professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Scheiber is survived by his wife, MaryAnn; son, Martin; daughters, Lisa Haith (Chris) and Laura Harris (Matthew); three grandchildren; one great-grandchild; sister, Carol Vachowiak (Norman); and brother, Harry ’55 (Jane). Memorial contributions may be made to the Columbia College Fund.

---

1961

Arnold J. Goldberg, chemical engineer, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., on September 22, 2021. Goldberg earned a B.S. from SEAS in 1962 and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, both in chemical engineering. After a varied career, he retired as president of AIG Loss Control Services. Goldberg was predeceased by his wife, Linda, and is survived by his children, Robin and Diana ’89. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Palm Beach County.

Eric D. Rosenfeld, attorney, Millbrook, N.Y., on August 24, 2021. After graduating from Harvard Law, Rosenfeld practiced corporate and real estate law with Rosenfeld, Fischbein, Bernstein & Tannenhauser for more than 40 years. After moving to the Hudson Valley in 1979, he pursued an entrepreneurial passion for deals and land conservation as a founding member of the Dutchess Land Conservancy. Rosenfeld also was at various times a member of The University Club of New York, The Explorers Club, Harvard Club, Mashomack Preserve, Millbrook Golf & Tennis Club, The Fusiliers, Tamarack Preserve and Squadron A Association in addition to being a founding member of Millbrook Polo, where he exercised his passion for riding. He also had a lifelong interest in history, particularly military history. Rosenfeld is survived by his wife of 36 years, Diane “Dede”; and son, Timothy. Memorial contributions may be made to the Dutchess Land Conservancy.

---

1962

Charles F. “Lucky” Bowers Jr., attorney, Edgeworth, Pa., on September 19, 2020. Bowers was a member of Beta Theta Pi and was active with the Columbia Alumni Association. After graduating cum laude from the Law School in 1965, he returned to New Brighton, Pa., where he grew up, to practice law with noted trial attorney James B. Ceris. In 1991, he formed a partnership with his son, Charles F. Bowers III, and James J. Ross, which grew to include Kenneth G. Fawcett and continued for more than 23 years until Ross became a judge. Sherri Hurst joined the firm shortly thereafter and Bowers practiced with his partners in Bowers, Fawcett & Hurst until his passing. A skilled civil and criminal litigator, he was proud of having served more than 50 years as the borough solicitor for his hometown. In 2019 the Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association presented him its Champion of Justice award. Bowers was predeceased by his wife, Janice, and brother, R. Lance Bowers, and is survived by his son, Charles F. III (Aileen); daughters, Julie Adams (Chris) and Jill Gray; and one grandson. Memorial contributions may be made to the Beaver County Bar Association.

Harry J. Quayle, science teacher, Steuben, Maine, on September 29, 2020. Born on Christmas Eve, 1940, in Brooklyn, Quayle taught science for seven years at Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn and then for more than 30 years at Randolph (N.J.) H.S. He enjoyed being out- doors and took his family on many vacations to the National Parks; weekend hikes in the mountains of New Jersey and in Acadia National Park; kayak and motorboat adventures; biking trips; and tide pooling along the rocky coast of Maine looking for marine creatures. Quayle led a lifetime of service through faith, starting with Bay Ridge Baptist Church in Brooklyn before moving on to First Baptist Church of Newton, N.J., and finally First Baptist Church of Cherryfield, Maine. He was a deacon, Sunday School teacher, handyman, fill-in preacher, treasurer, usher and emergency organist. He taught himself Hebrew because he wanted to read the Bible as it was originally written, and he brought Bibles with him everywhere to hand out. Quayle is survived by his wife of 57 years, Joanne; sons, Matt and Dan; daughters-in-law, Betty Quick and Patty; four grandchildren; and sister, Lory Lockerbie (Bruce). Memorial contributions may be made to the Gideons; First Baptist Church of Cherryfield, Maine; World Vision International; or Samaritan’s Purse.

---

1963

Samuel C. Fromowitz, diplomat, Yountville, Calif., on April 7, 2021. Born on June 10, 1942, in the Bronx, Fromowitz studied history and politics and began his diplomatic career at 21 in Washington, D.C. He held posts in Paris (1965–66), Toronto (1966–68), Belgrade (1969–71), Moscow (1974–76) and Athens (1980–83). Fromowitz lived in Arlington, Va., between assignments and was awarded a congressional fellowship, working for Rep. John Joseph Cavanaugh III (D-Neb.) and Sen. Gary Hart (D-Colo.). He was the U.S. consul general in Vancouver 1986–90, during which time he was presented the Meritorious Honor Award for best-managed post. Fromowitz returned to Athens in 1990 and retired from the Foreign Service in 1995. He lived in Vancouver for three years before moving to Yountville, where he volunteered with Meals on Wheels and the Napa Red Cross and was a founding board member of Pathway House, a residential assistance program for military personnel with PTSD. Fromowitz is survived by his wife of nearly 57 years, Joan (née McGraw); sons, David and Daniel (Stacey); daughter, Rachel Martin (Michael); and four grandchildren.

---

1965

James T. “Boo” Boosales, businessman, Palm Harbor, Fla., on August 25, 2021. Born on April 18, 1943, Boosales grew up in Chicago and graduated from Niles H.S., where he excelled in both academics and athletics. He played freshman football at Columbia and made many lifelong friendships with his brothers at Beta Theta Pi fraternity. Boosales had a long career in business, mostly in the toy industry, working for Parker Brothers, Lionel Trains and Fisher-Price. He also worked in the golf industry with Foot-Joy, and was the company’s president in the 1980s. His final career stop was as chief financial officer of SRI/Surgical Express in the 1990s; he took an early retirement in 2002. During retirement, Boosales was an active member of Innisbrook, enjoying his time on the golf course and in the clubhouse. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Bonny; daughter, Catherine; and son, David.

Robert W. Gunn, psychotherapist, Virginia Beach, on March 12, 2021. Born on October 11, 1943, in Cairo, Ill., Gunn earned an M.Div. and a Ph.D. from Union Theological Seminary and a D.Min. from Andover Newton Theological School, now part of Yale Divinity. Dunn was a psychotherapist in New York City for the majority of his life before moving to Virginia Beach, as he contemplated retirement and wanted to be closer to his family. He was a pianist and avid scuba diver who loved to travel and try new things. Gunn is survived by his sister, Jeanne Akins; daughters, Allison Gunn (Mark Ostevik) and Lara Wiggins (Mario); and four grandchildren.

---

1969

Stuart H. Scott, environmentalist, Honolulu, on July 15, 2021. Scott grew up in New York City and majored in mathematics and computer science. He taught middle school, toured the United States as a minstrel and street performer and was a stockbroker for Merrill Lynch before earning an M.S. in computer and information science from Florida. Scott worked for IBM and settled in Hawaii, where he honed his IT skills while teaching philosophy, critical thinking and statistics. After watching Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth in 2006, he became deeply involved with Gore’s Climate Project and devoted the remainder of his life to communicating the urgent severity of our current growth economic systems’ impact on Earth’s climate and habitability. Scott was known for his visibility at UN-sponsored climate negotiations known as Conferences of Parties, or COPS. In 2018, he brought Greta Thunberg and her father, Svante, to COP-24 in Poland, from which Thunberg’s message to world leaders marked her as a spokesperson for youth and future generations. Scott founded ClimateMatters.TV, ScientistsWarning.TV, FacingFuture.TV, the United Planet Faith & Science Initiative and the Circle of Elders of Ecological Economics. He is survived by his sons, Sean and Joshua; sister, Diana; and brother, David.

---

1974

Christian P. Hansen, software testing professional, London, on September 3, 2021. Born in Salem, Mass., and raised in nearby Marblehead, Hansen majored in Latin and Greek. After working in New York for 21 years, he moved to Chicago in 1991 and San Francisco two years later. In 1994 he moved to London, where he worked for 15 years, retiring as a software testing professional in 2009. Hansen was active as a lay member of the Church of England; he was Sacristan of St Matthews
at the Elephant parish for 23 years and was also lay chair of the deanery and a member of various committees in Southwark Diocese. Hansen became a Freemason in 2005, then was made Master of Goliath Lodge and received London Grand Rank in 2019. He became a joining member of Philanthropic Lodge in Marble- head and a founding member of his University Lodge, Columbia 1139, in New York. Hansen is survived by his husband, Tan Wai-Liang; brother, Harold (Beth Feran); and sister, Ruth. Memorial contributions may be made to any medical charity, especially those relating to ALS or diabetes.

---

1976

Michael S. Billig, anthropology professor, Lancaster, Pa., on February 17, 2021. Born in Rockaway, Queens, Billig majored in anthropology and earned an M.A. from GSAS in 1979 and a Ph.D. from Harvard in 1987. He was a professor of anthropology at Franklin & Marshall for 35 years and in 2006 was presented the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching, F&M’s highest teaching honor. Billig authored more than 20 articles and reviews as well as the book Barons, Brokers, and Buyers: The Institutions and Cultures of Philippine Sugar (2003), and was an expert on the economic anthropology of cultures transitioning to capitalism. He was a devotee of opera, folk music, race-walking and fishing, and a member of the Alumni Representative Committee. Billig is survived by his wife, Heidi Wolf; sisters, Ronda and Melinda; daughters, Shira Keith (David) and Monica; and two grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Opera or the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society.

---

1979

Martin J. Dunn, attorney and politician, Holyoke, Mass., on September 11, 2020. Born and raised in Holyoke, Dunn was captain of the basketball team and quarterback for the football team at Holyoke H.S., and then attended Northfield Mount Herman School in Gill, Mass. He continued to play football at Columbia, and went on to earn a J.D. from Suffolk University Law. Dunn returned to his beloved Holyoke to practice law and served on the Board of Aldermen before being elected mayor in 1987. After two terms, he served as a Massachusetts state senator before serving as attorney for the State Senate. Dunn was a partner in the law firm of Dunn & Wilson in Holyoke at the time of his death. He was a member of myriad civic organizations and boards and enjoyed participating in many events during Holyoke’s St. Patrick’s Day weekend, including running the Annual St. Patrick’s Day Road Race. He was particularly proud of having completed five marathons, including Boston and Chicago. Dunn is survived by his wife of 34 years, Kathleen Destromp. Memorial contributions may be made to the Greater Holyoke YMCA or to the Maurice A. Donahue Memorial Scholarship Fund, AOH Division, Holyoke, PO Box 6535, Holyoke, MA 01041-6535.

---

1985

Graham S. Haber, photographer and videographer, New York City, on June 12, 2021. Born in London on February 21, 1963, Haber grew up in Boston and traveled extensively with his parents and two brothers, which inspired a lifelong enjoyment of travel and discovery. After attending the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif., he moved back to New York in 1989 and was the principal at Graham Haber Photography until 2010, when he became senior photographer for The Morgan Library & Museum; he worked there until his death. Haber is survived by his wife, Anastasia; daughter, Zola; and twin sons, Miles and Lucas.

---

1987

Christopher N. Lasch, law professor, Evergreen, Colo., on June 13, 2021. A 1996 graduate of Yale Law, Lasch dedicated his life and career to helping others as a public defender, a civil rights lawyer and a clinical law professor. He taught as a research scholar and Cover Fellow at the Yale Law clinic, as a visiting clinical professor at Suffolk Law and finally as a professor at Denver University Sturm College of Law. Lasch is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Stovall; son, Rain Ellis; daughter, Grace Perry Noe; mother, Nell; brother, Robert; sisters, Kate Loomis and Elizabeth Lasch-Quinn; and one grandchild.

---

1991

David W. Kaiser, environmental activist, New York City, on July 15, 2020. Born on July 27, 1969, in Cambridge, Mass., Kaiser was a scion of the Rockefeller family whose work as president of the Rockefeller Family Fund included promoting employment opportunities for women and advancing citizen participation in government. He was the great-great-grandson of John D. Rockefeller, who founded Standard Oil in the 19th century and became the world’s richest person. In 2016, the family fund announced that it would divest from ExxonMobil for what Kaiser called the company’s “morally reprehensible conduct” regarding its ignoring the potential harmful effects of climate change, setting off a prolonged legal battle and war of words among family members. Kaiser is survived by his mother, Neva R. Goodwin; wife, Rosemary Corbett; and two daughters.

---

1993

Dennis M. Lafferty, financial executive, Brielle, N.J., on August 11, 2021. Born and raised in Buffalo, where he excelled at track and football, Lafferty played three years of varsity football for the Lions. After earning an M.B.A. from the Business School in 2001, he had a notable career on Wall Street, where he was well known within the distressed credit community. He led trading teams at Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs, but said his biggest success was his family. Lafferty met his wife of 13 years, Ellen (née Winkler), in the elevator at work and often said, “By the time we got to the first floor, we knew.” They were married the following year and lived in Manhattan and Brooklyn, with weekends and summers at the Jersey Shore, in Manasquan, before settling in Brielle. An avid Buffalo Bills fan, Lafferty was forever proud of his hometown. He is survived by his wife; daughters, Audrey and Emily; sons, Liam and Ben; father, Raymond (Kyle); mother, Mary Cone (Jim); brother, Edward; and sisters, Katie Tonsoline and Riane. Memorial donations may be made to Compassionate Care ALS or ALS Research at the Healey Center for ALS at Mass General.

Michael J. Sardo, intelligence analyst, Silver Spring, Md., on July 2, 2021. Sardo played baseball, football and basketball at Bethpage H.S. on Long Island but focused on football for the Lions, switching from quarterback to wide receiver and earning All-Ivy honorable mention in 1991 and 1992. As a senior he caught 13 passes against Cornell — at the time a school record — and a game-winning 40-yard TD against Brown, and ranked fifth in receptions in Division 1-AA. He finished his career with 124 receptions to rank sixth in Columbia history and participated in the 1993 Japan Bowl all-star game. Sardo enrolled in the biochemistry Ph.D. program at North Carolina, where he specialized in cancer research, but while in graduate school, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia. A lengthy, difficult recovery period ended with his having lost the ability to walk, and his College sweetheart and future wife, Kathleen Johnson ’93, became his full-time caregiver. Sardo earned an M.A. from North Carolina and his science background guided his longtime work as an FBI intelligence analyst. He applied his passion for sports to coaching his sons, Darrion and Sedric, in youth baseball, and when he wasn’t on the sidelines, he was on the field or at the gym, attending their basketball and soccer games. In addition to his wife and sons, Sardo is survived by his father, John; mother, Barbara; and sister, Katherine. Memorial contributions may be made to bccbaseball.com/post/in-memory-of-mike-sardo.

— Alex Sachare ’71